Maybe You Should Interview Everyone

Note: With unemployment at a 17 year low, and the number of people in the labor force hovering around a 40 year low, there’s no reason to think hiring is going to get any easier in the coming months. So what’s an employer to do? Mel Kleiman, the founder and leader of the recruiting and hiring consultancy Humetrics, has some suggestions.

Needs vs. Wants

Do not go into the hiring process looking for what you think you need ─ someone to fill a shift or do a particular job. Rather, go into it looking for what you really want ─ someone who will add value, be responsible, accountable, and who is willing to grow.

Just by raising your sights and expectations, you’ll raise the quality of every new hire across-the-board.

Interview Everyone!

Now is the time to interview even those applicants you don’t think you’d hire. Here’s why:

No matter the impression you got from the phone screen or their past work experience, they might surprise you and be better than you think.

It is a way to get leads on additional potential applicants. Just say: “We need to talk to people you’ve worked with as well as those you’ve worked for.” Then get the names and numbers of three people they have worked with.

It’s a great way to practice and refine your interviewing skills.

P.S. Don’t Forget: Hire Tough; Manage Easy!

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Performance Review Forms = Great Hiring Tools

What better interview questions to ask a job applicant than those about the criteria employees are actually evaluated against when it’s time for an annual performance review? And what better way to evaluate a job applicant than against that same criteria? Here are two examples of how you might take a performance review metric and turn it into an interview question or use it as an evaluation tool.

Performance Review Item: Communications skills

Interview question: Tell me about a time you convinced a boss or a coworker to undertake a new project or do something another way.Job applicant rating: On a scale of 1-10, how well did the applicant communicate ideas and experiences?

Performance Review Item: Meeting goals & objectives

Interview question: On a scale of 1 – 10, on your last job, how successful were you when it came to meeting your weekly and/or monthly goals? What would it have taken for you to be able to give yourself a higher number?Job applicant rating: On a scale of 1 – 10, was the applicant on time, dressed properly, and well-prepared?

Mel Kleiman, CSP, is an internationally-known authority on recruiting, selecting, and hiring hourly employees. He has been the president of Humetrics since 1976 and has over 30 years of practical experience, research, consulting and professional speaking work to his credit. Contact him at mkleiman@humetrics.com.